In The Know – Issue 98

Acing Spring Break

Faculty-led trips took University students to Arizona and abroad to Iceland, Austria and London.

SCM Students Advance to 2024 Coca-Cola Refreshing Films Program Finals

Their 30-second film will be presented at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in early April with the opportunity to win $5,000 and have the film screen across cinema locations in North America.

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In the News

• Emily Isaacs (Office of Faculty Excellence) wrote a piece for The Chronicle of Higher Education about how professors can play a role in teaching students how to be students.
• Stephanie Silvera (Public Health) appeared on NJ Spotlight News program Chat Box with David Cruz to discuss a new report on the state’s COVID-19 response. Silvera is also quoted in a story by NPR station WHYY about a task force recently announced by Governor Phil Murphy that will be set up to implement recommendations made in a review of the state’s response to the pandemic.
• Cortni Borgerson (Anthropology) is quoted in this National Geographic article about the periodical brood of cicadas set to emerge this year.
• Blanca Elizabeth Vega (Educational Leadership) wrote a piece for Times Higher Education about the epistemological approach needed to build more inclusive environments; the piece is excerpted from Black Scholarship in a White Academy: Perseverance in the Face of Injustice.
• Yang Deng (Earth and Environmental Studies) is quoted in this story for NPR affiliate WQCS about Xiaoping Xin, a collaborator and postdoctoral research associate from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences who was recently honored with a prestigious award.
• Yasemin Besen-Cassino (Sociology) is quoted in an article in The Atlantic about how and why teen babysitters are symbols of a bygone era.

Important Updates

• W-2 forms are now available for print and download in Workday. From your Workday home page, under “Applications,” please select the “Pay” icon, then select “My Tax Documents.” Once in My Tax Documents scroll down and you’ll see a table with available tax year W-2 documents that you can view/print. If you do not see this notation, that means your W-2 was delivered by mail. If you were employed by Bloomfield College during January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023, you will receive a separate W-2 for earnings during that time period. Questions? contact Workday Support at wccsupport@montclair.edu or 973-655-5000, Option 3.
• The New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits has designated Monday, April 1 – Tuesday, April 30, as a Special Open Enrollment Period for employees to learn about the new Aetna medical plan and optionally enroll. If you choose to enroll, the new Aetna medical plan will become effective Monday, July 1. Beginning Monday, April 1, employees will be able to log into the Benefitsolver website by accessing a link on the MyNewJersey portal or via MyNJBenefitsHub to access additional information. No action is required if you do not wish to make any changes to your current medical plan.
• The deadline for Montclair faculty and staff participating in Spring Commencement to order regalia is Monday, March 25. Advanced registration is required for all faculty and staff working Commencement as well as for those participating in the academic processional. Registration will close Monday, April 15. Additional information about venue arrival times, event credential distribution, shuttle service and more is available on the Commencement website under Faculty and Staff Information.
• Instructional Technology and Design Services invites faculty to submit proposals for the 19th Annual Summer Institute conference, held June 4 and 5. This year’s theme, Forward Together, embraces the teaching community and will create a space to discuss shared experiences, opportunities, challenges faced as educators and the future of education.Deadline for submissions is Monday, April 15.
• The Spring 2024 Children’s Swim School begins Monday, April 8. Classes take place at the Panzer Athletic Center pool and children must be 4 to 12 years of age by the start of classes. Classes are taught by the University swimming and diving teams. For more information, contact mclaughlinb@montclair.edu.

Last Chance

• Final call for nominations for the faculty and staff Excellence in Academic Advising and Career Services Awards. Nominations will be accepted until today, Friday, March 22. Please visit the Excellence in Academic Advising and Career Services website for more information and for nomination forms.
• Celebrate World Water Day today by Filling it Forward across campus and by choosing reusable water bottles over single-use plastic bottles. Download the Fill it Forward app for a chance to win prizes and join the Red Hawks Reuse group and track the University’s collective environmental impact.
• Today is the last day to donate canned and non-perishable goods as payment for campus citations. Each canned, non-perishable item, dry good and personal hygiene item will be worth $10 toward one open citation. Donations may be brought to the parking office in level 1 of the Red Hawk Deck from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or to the Student Center, 2nd floor lobby from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Enjoy FREE Family Swim Night tonight from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Student Recreation Center pool. Guests must be over age 5 and accompanied by an employee with a University ID. Employees are allowed to bring up to four guests. Flotation devices that are USCG approved are allowed. For more information, contact Alex Sperling at sperlinga@montclair.edu.
• The Disability Caucus will host a presentation on weight discrimination by Stephanie Spitz (Art and Design) with guest Claudia Cortese (Writing Studies) today from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The virtual presentation will focus on historical and contemporary contexts of anti-fatness and fatphobia, including their implications on medical bias, architecture, fashion, pop-culture and mental health.

Upcoming Events

• The Montclair community is invited to attend University Budget 101: A Breakdown of Our Fiscal Strategy on Thursday, April 4, 10 to 11 a.m. This one-hour open session will provide an inside look at how the University receives funding and how strategic decisions about tuition, infrastructure and staffing are made. Register to attend in person or via livestream.
• Join Fridays with ITDS on April 5 for a conversation with Laura Quiros (Social Work and Child Advocacy) on fostering inclusivity across modalities. Learn how to integrate diverse perspectives into in-person and online teaching to acknowledge the multitude of identities in our classrooms.
• Montclair State University Day at Yankee Stadium is Sunday, April 7. Watch the New York Yankees take on the Toronto Blue Jays. Purchase tickets for Montclair section #334. Tickets include a free Yankees/MSU cap and a $20 food and beverage voucher.
• The University Spring Town Hall will take place Wednesday, April 17, 3 – 4 p.m., at the Alexander Kasser Theater.
  Staff and faculty are invited to attend and participate in the Earth Day Creative Carnival on Monday, April 22. Enjoy free tie-dying and aromatic living plants. Interested in participating as a speaker or with a table or activity? Contact earthdaycreativecarnival@montclair.edu.
• Show your Red Hawk pride with new Zoom backgrounds as we approach One Day for Montclair on Thursday, April 25 – the day for our Montclair community to come together to support Montclair and our students.

Reminders

• Occupational Health services along with Christopher King in Clinical Psychology, are conducting round table sessions/discussions for employees beginning through Monday, April 29. Register to an occupational health round table session to learn valuable tips on managing mental health and keeping your work and personal life in alignment. Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
• Lost and found items can be brought to the Student Center information desk in the 2nd floor lobby. Browse the inventory of lost items or file a claim with a description of your lost item to be notified if it is returned.
• Make parking easier by downloading the Parking Logix app to check for available parking before you leave for campus. The app provides real-time updates on parking availability in the parking decks and lots.
• Request the company of our university pupscot, Pebbles at your upcoming events! Let Pebbles be a paw-sitive presence at your event, fostering a sense of well-being and support for everyone involved.
• The University has partnered with Ascendium Education Solutions®, a leader in student loan repayment support, to address any questions or concerns regarding federal student loans. Call 833-707-1220 or email successcenter@ascendiumeducation.org for assistance. Also check out the MSU GradReady website for additional resources available to help with managing your financial needs.
• Faculty and staff are eligible to purchase the 30 Block + $50 Red Hawk Dollar meal plan or the $300 Red Hawk Dollar meal plan. By purchasing the $300 Faculty/Staff RHD plan, you will also receive a bonus $50 Red Hawk Dollars. The plan can be used at all campus dining venues, vending machines and convenience stores. Enroll by payroll deduction or credit card.
• Take advantage of the State Employee Discount Program with access to discounts in various categories.
• EMS has installed hemorrhage/bleeding control kits and Narcan in Automated External Defibrillator (AED) cabinets on campus and is offering training sessions on how to use the hemorrhage control and Narcan kits. If you or your department would like to participate in these training sessions, contact EMS at 973-655-7836 or ems@montclair.edu.
• Did you know the Center for Writing Excellence is open to all University employees? The center provides free, confidential appointments for feedback on all types of writing including professional documents, emails, memos and improving general writing skills. In-person and virtual appointments are available.
• Land on a broken link or dead end on the Montclair State University website? Report your experience via our Broken Link form.
• The new University Calendar is here. Powered by the University’s room booking system, 25 Live, all event listings should be entered here. Still need training? Register for online or in-person training.

Support for Staff and Faculty

• The Employee Assistance Program provides free, confidential support services for employees and their families – including locating resources for substance abuse, mental health and self-help. For more information, view the CONCERN brochure.
• Worried about a student’s well-being? Please fill out a CARE Report form to connect students to mental health support and resources. Faculty and advisors can complete an alert via Navigate for academic concerns.
• If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the nationwide 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free, confidential support, 24/7.

Kudos

• To Vincent Maffei (Financial Aid), who is celebrating 40 years at Montclair. During his tenure, Vincent has helped review and award financial aid to thousands of students, witnessed several system implementations and worked alongside four Financial Aid directors. He is truly an unsung hero for the students at Montclair.
• To Kieran Barrett (University Police) and Kevin Schafer (Residence Life), who presented at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators conference in Seattle, Washington, about the integral part University Police play in supporting students and the Crisis, Assessment, Response and Education team.
• To Stephan Dolan, Angelica Martinez, Kyle Cashin (Student Belonging), who were awarded the Outstanding New Professional, Outstanding Student Graduate and Outstanding Student Leader awards at the region 8 and 9 Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention in Higher Education regional conference hosted at Montclair. Nathan Taylor also served as conference chair along with staff from the Office of Student Belonging.
• To Amy Tuininga (PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies), who presented at the National Science Foundations HSI Stem Hub webinar series, “Improving undergraduate student success through summer research experiences.”
• To Jennifer Baum (Writing Studies), whose memoir, Just City: Growing Up on the Upper West Side When Housing Was a Human Right, will be published April 2 by Empire State Editions, Fordham University Press.
• To Paul McGroarty (University Communications and Marketing) and student social media ambassador Ariel Aguirre on their @montclairstateu Pi Day video that got more than 4.2 million views on TikTok and more than a million views on Instagram. (See video below.)

Social Media Post of Note

Happy #PiDay! We challenged our Red Hawks to recite the endless digits of pi, from 3.14 to infinity… How many digits can you recite?

Have an item you’d like included in Kudos or Reminders? Want to nominate a staffer for our spotlight? Use this form to tell us. Read more about our people and programs in the University News Center and in back issues of In the Know. And find out what’s happening on campus in the Events Calendar.